A marketing strategy entails an action plan for a product by addressing factors such as the growth of a business through a product, profitability, the customer base and the tactics to be employed in order to implement the plan. A successful marketing strategy has various advantages, including but not limited to enhanced coordination among functional areas of an organization especially within marketing and defined allocation of resources. It also helps in developing a superior market position by maintaining a competitive advantage over other organizations. A good strategy helps in attaining the market position that the management desires. This assignment, therefore, summarizes the seven strategy elements, focusing on wildflower scented soaps as the product by H.E.J Grocery Inc.

                               The first of seven parts of a successful marketing strategy for a new product is setting the objectives that are to be attained. Good objectives should be challenging and realistic, have quantified performance standards, and have a time frame within which the goals are achieved. Writing out objectives helps in determining where the organization would like to go and answers to that are dependent on the level of the organization (Smith, 2014). Four levels of objectives exist, arranged in a hierarchical order from corporate objectives, divisional objectives, product objectives, and program objectives. For instance, at a corporate level, the most common objectives are related to return on investment and business mix, which are not particularly helpful at the marketing level as they give little guidance on how to proceed with product sales. At the product level, the two objectives commonly aim at increasing growth and profitability. Objectives at all levels should in conjunction achieve the overall objectives of a corporate.

                               In the marketing strategy of wildflower-scented soaps, the primary objective is concerned with significant growth within the market through reductions in price and, the offering of variety. This has been made possible by creating a product that is easily affordable to the targeted customer base with three different scents: yellow rose, bluebonnet, and Indian paintbrush. Following the clients’ positive response locally, it is the organization’s objective to eventually shift the customer base from being local to being international within two years. The organization also aims to increase its cash flow through increased sales, which will be made possible by increasing advertisements, mostly on the internet.

                               The selection of strategic alternatives is the second element of a successful marketing strategy and the choices made in this step are logically determined by the selection of the primary objective. Strategic alternatives provide guidelines on how the objectives should be achieved, and the options available are dependent on the product being marketed (Keegan, 2017). There are two broad strategic options available to a marketing manager and include increasing sales through market development strategies and marketing penetration strategies and increasing profitability through decreased inputs and increased outputs. Market developmental strategies aim at noncustomers of a product which can be done through the pursuance of nonusers in positions already identified. It could also involve entry into new markets, which previously ignored by the management.

                               Market penetration strategies, on the other hand, increase the rate of usage of a product by the existing customers for instance through the use of larger packages, and promotion of more frequent use (Meyer & Thu Tran, 2020). In the sale of the wildflower scented soaps, the two major ways which will be possible in achieving the target are market penetration and market development. In market penetration, the organization aims at maintaining its current customer base by offering them a variety of scents thus satisfying their demands. The market development strategy has been made clear by the fact that the organization would want to expand its customer base and approach the nun-customers from just Texas, where it is situated, to an international level through reduced prices, increased advertisements, and increased size of the salesforce.

                               Positioning comprises the third, fourth, and fifth elements of a marketing strategy. These three elements include competitor targets, customer targets, and the core strategy respectively (John, 2015). Positioning generally encompasses a specific statement of how the product is different from the competitors’ products in the minds of the current customers. It identifies the alternative positioning themes, for instance, through consulting the products team and advertisements team, and also screens the alternatives according to their meaningfulness to the consumer, trust by the customer base, feasibility, and its competitive sensitivity. Positioning also entails determining the location that best satisfies the purposes of a business and implementation of the programs for example advertising, which should be consistent with the position chosen.

                               The first strategy in the positioning is customer targets, and this is influenced by the specification of the strategic alternatives. The choice of customer targets depends on the expected growth of the corporate, opportunities for having a competitive advantage, and the resources available. In H.E.J Grocery Inc., the customer target are the already existing customers in Texas, noncustomers within Texas, and international customer who have probably never heard of the corporation. H.E. J's wildflower scented soaps differ from any other soaps in various ways which include but are not limited to unique features, price, branding, distribution, support, and service, and this has helped it maintain a competitive advantage over other sellers. As the corporate is also involved in growing and selling flowers, the constant availability of the wildflower scented soap is always guaranteed to its customers.

                               Competitor targets are a critical part of an organization as they help in determining the competition for the primary objective. This step helps in determining the different ways of maintaining an advantage over corporations selling similar products. For H.E.J Grocery Inc., some of its competitors include Bearsville Soap Company, A Wild Soap Bar, and Black Butterfly. H.E.J Grocery Inc., however, plans to remain ahead of its competitors by selling quality products at a relatively cheaper price than the other organizations, unique branding, and identifying the competitors' weak-spots which it then uses to improve its products, such as through the introduction of variety.

                               The core strategy of a product defines the differential advantage that is to be communicated to the target customer base. There are two categories of a core strategy: cost differential advantage and differentiation based on product offering or services. The cost strategy involves maintaining lower prices that will prove beneficial to a company, in the long run, supported by the availability of capital, required size, and other resources. There are many risks involved with the cost strategy, such as the possibility of a shift of customer tastes and reduced demand for products that could be produced in large quantities, thus making significant losses.

                               The non-price strategy, on the other hand, involves making use of a product's unique characteristic to obtain a price higher than the price set by an organization’s competitors. The characteristic does not have to be tangible but should be able to offer a benefit that is more profitable to the business. As already discussed, the major benefits that H.E. J’s wildflower-scented soaps have over other soaps in town are related to variety, cost, and continuous distribution. As H.E.J Grocery Inc. aims at penetrating new market segments, it has specified its target customers’ descriptors as being young, middle-earning, explorative, and fashion-oriented so as to enable it to develop its strategy efficiently. The core strategy of the H.E.J Grocery Inc. thus involves both reduction in prices that will be supported in the long run with lower costs and better benefits of its products based on variety, good quality, and good branding which offers it a benefit over the rest of its competitors.

                               The sixth element of a marketing strategy is marketing mix support that dictates that decisions based on marketing a product should be based upon customer needs and wants.  It is the convenient means of organizing all the variables controlled by a marketing manager to influence transactions in a market place. It is a good checklist approach whereby a marketer attempts to list and organize the variables under the business’s control (Darren, 2014). The right arrangement of marketing mix by an enterprise plays a critical role in the successful running of a business in several ways. Firstly, it aids in developing the strengths of a certain product and avoiding weaknesses. It also ensures that the internal departments of business work closely together as well as strengthen the ease at which a business competes and adapts to the market.

                               The basics of the marketing mix are explained using four parts, commonly referred to as "4Ps". They include product, price, price, and promotion. The product aspect of the marketing mix helps in understanding the customers' needs, and what satisfies their wants. It also answers questions such as how and where the customers will use the products that are being marketed and how they will experience it once it is released. Additionally, it is related to the branding of a corporate's product and the specific factors that make it different from the rest of competitors' products. This aspect is really important as it also helps determine the most a product can cost to produce and still be sold to make sufficient profits.

                               The place element of the marketing mix answers various questions related to where buyers can get the products being marketed and how they can be reached, for instance through physical stores or online platforms. Accessing the right distribution channels is also made possible through this part and also helps in benchmarking from competitors and righting their wrongs so as to become more profitable and maintain a competitive advantage. The price in the marketing mix helps determine the value of the products or services being sold together with establishing the price points set in their particular markets. Besides, this aspect aids in knowing whether the customer base is price sensitive and what discounts should be offered, if need be. Knowing all these factors helps a business determine how its price will compare with its competitors'.

                               The fourth and final part of the marketing mix is promotion and it is critical in determining where and when marketing messages such as advertisements can be got across the target market. Through this, marketing managers are able to reach their potential customers at the right time and through the right channels depending on various descriptors such as the age of the target market. For instance, for young people, the right channels would be through the internet, while the older people would be more likely to get information from televisions and radios. It also helps in beating the competition by learning how to differ from their methods of promotion.

                               In this assignment, H.E.J Grocery Inc. offers a product that fulfills its customers' needs through a variety of scents of the wildflower soap and that is easily affordable. Consumers could use to bathe or even wash clothes, depending on their choice. It is also packaged in a branded box with the company's name in different attractive colors: purple, blue, pink, and white. The market of the product is majorly limited to Texas, though the management aims to expand its territories to make the wildflower soap international. The price of the product is relatively affordable, making the customer base the middle-income earning class. The corporate advertises its products majorly through online channels and television to target both the younger and older adults at the same time.

                                     Functional programs support is the seventh and final element of marketing strategy. It is concerned with implementation and fashioning strategies that improve the functions in the marketing department. Some of the strategies under this element include functional purchasing and materials management, which could include quality improvement at lower prices, vendor-seller negotiations, and analysis of staff performance. It also entails functional production and operations strategies such as redefining the marketing mix and management of product life cycles. Other functional programs support are strategies such as distribution techniques, development of new products, and product positioning. In H.E. J Grocery Inc., the management aims at improving the quality of its products to satisfy its consumers' needs while still making a sustainable profit. It also conducts analysis of its employees every four months to determine their productivity and motivation in performing their tasks. It has also resolved to developing new perfume products if the international expansion is successful. Through all these features, the corporate has thus demonstrated positive functional programs support.

                                     I think that the competitive analysis for the wildflower scented soap by H.E.J Grocery Inc. will be successful because it contains all the aspects of a good marketing strategy, and all the goals are realistic and achievable (Lehmann & Winer, 2017). Its market developmental strategies aim at getting more customers by appealing to people that originally did not use the product and invade a new market, which will make more profit to them. Also, the corporate’s product is of good quality and sells at a lower price than the competitors’ products, thus making it sell more than other products in the market. H.E.J Grocery Inc. also maintains a competitive advantage through its branding of the soap which enhances its image, thus attracting more customers. All these factors make its marketing strategy competitive, provided that there are always enough resources to ensure the continuous distribution of the wildflower scented soaps.

Paper Outline

Paragraph 1

A marketing strategy entails an action plan for a product by addressing factors such as the growth of a business through a product, profitability, the customer base and the tactics to be employed in order to implement the plan.

Paragraph 2

The first of seven parts of a successful marketing strategy for a new product is setting the objectives that are to be attained. Good objectives should be challenging and realistic, have quantified performance standards, and have a time frame within which the goals are achieved.

Paragraph 3

In the marketing strategy of wildflower-scented soaps, the primary objective is concerned with significant growth within the market through reductions in price and, the offering of variety.

Paragraph 4

The selection of strategic alternatives is the second element of a successful marketing strategy and the choices made in this step are logically determined by the selection of the primary objective.

Paragraph 5

Market penetration strategies, on the other hand, increase the rate of usage of a product by the existing customers for instance through the use of larger packages, and promotion of more frequent use (Meyer & Thu Tran, 2020).

Paragraph 6

Positioning comprises the third, fourth, and fifth elements of a marketing strategy.

Paragraph 7

The first strategy in the positioning is customer targets, and this is influenced by the specification of the strategic alternatives.

Paragraph 8

Competitor targets are a critical part of an organization as they help in determining the competition for the primary objective.

Paragraph 9

The core strategy of a product defines the differential advantage that is to be communicated to the target customer base. There are two categories of a core strategy: cost differential advantage and differentiation based on product offering or services.

Paragraph 10

The non-price strategy, on the other hand, involves making use of a product's unique characteristic to obtain a price higher than the price set by an organization’s competitors.

Paragraph 11

The sixth element of a marketing strategy is marketing mix support that dictates that decisions based on marketing a product should be based upon customer needs and wants. 

Paragraph 12

The basics of the marketing mix are explained using four parts, commonly referred to as "4Ps". They include product, price, price, and promotion.

Paragraph 13

The place element of the marketing mix answers various questions related to where buyers can get the products being marketed and how they can be reached, for instance through physical stores or online platforms.

Paragraph 14

The fourth and final part of the marketing mix is promotion and it is critical in determining where and when marketing messages such as advertisements can be got across the target market.

Paragraph 15

In this assignment, H.E.J Grocery Inc. offers a product that fulfills its customers' needs through a variety of scents of the wildflower soap and that is easily affordable.

Paragraph 16

Functional programs support is the seventh and final element of marketing strategy. It is concerned with implementation and fashioning strategies that improve the functions in the marketing department.

Paragraph 17

I think that the competitive analysis for the wildflower scented soap by H.E.J Grocery Inc. will be successful because it contains all the aspects of a good marketing strategy, and all the goals are realistic and achievable (Lehmann & Winer, 2017).